Desuperheater



c. H. sMooT DE SUPERHEATER Filed Jan. 18, 11.927

A. llw

BY y ATTGRNEYS Patented June l9, 1928.

UNITED STATES `('JBARLIES H. SHOOT, 0F MPLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY.

nEsUPERHEATEn.

Application led Januaryl, 1927. Serial No. 161,940.

My invention consists in an improved and Simplified desuperheater that. is automatic in action and thoroughly sate in operation.

My desuperheater automatically reduces s the superheat of steam. in any desired amount by permitting Water to flow directly into the steam in quantities proportional to the volume of steam to be desuperheated.

The various novel features of my desupertu heater and the advantages pertaining thereto can best be understood from the following description when taken in consideration with the accompanying drawing in which l have illustrated my desuperheater in the y i form best known to me and in combination with apparatus With which it may be advantageously employed.

Referring to the drawings a high pressure steam main 1 carrying superheated 2@ steam is connected to the low pressure steam main 2 through tie-line T provided with emergency shut-oil valves V, reducing valve 3 and desuperheater S hereinafter to be described. The reducing valve 3 permits steam trom the main 1 to flow through the line 'lP and desuperheater S to the header 2 to supplement the lovs7 pressure generators duringpeak load. The valve 3 is preferably controlled automatically and is shown in the drawing, being controlled in response tothe steam pressure in the header 2 by means of a regulator 4 tending to open and close the valve 3 with decreasing and increasing pressure respectively in the main 2. The specific .au construction and location of the regulator 4 is immaterial to my present invention. For

purposes of illustration I have shown .the

regulator t as a cylinder Within which isa piston 5, subjected to the pressure-Wlthin co a chamber 6, the4 chamber 6 being incomrnunication with the header 2 by means of the conduit 7 provided with a cut-od' valve 8. A spring 9 pushes upon thepiston 5 to op ose the pressure in the chamber 6. At-

tu tac ed to the piston is a rod 10 linked to a lever 11 which is pivoted at 12 and carries a member 13, thel osition of which determines the degree o opening of the valve 3.

When the load on the low pressure generators increases the pressure Within the chamber 6 decreases allowing the spring 9 to raise the piston 5 and rod 10. The movement of the rod 10 is transmitted to the member 13 by the lever l1 to open theA valve 3 propor- Se tionately to the increase in load in the main 2. ySimilarly a decrease inload results in a proportlonate closing of the valve 3.

I will nov:l describe the various parts of my desuperheater. A length of the tie-line T is made U-shaped, with the vertical sections 14 and 16 and the horizontal section 15. A Venturi constriction is madevin the section 1.6, the throat 17 of this constriction being at the lower end of the section. 'lerminating Within the throat 17 are nozzles 18 attached to the end of a pipe 20. rlhe'pipe. 20, having the hand regulating valve 21 leads from the Water space of a reservoir 19 through the Wall of the section 15. The Water in the reservoir is maintained substantially at the level of the throat 17 by meansof a float 22 controlling at 23fthe feed of Water to the reservoir from the supply line 211. 1n the supply line 2li there is provided a valve 25, thecontrol of which is eftected by the regulator i through a rod 26 linked to the lever 11 operating to open or close the valve25 proportionally with the valve 3.

The space above the water in the reservoir is connected by pipe 27 to the tie-line T just beyond the vertical section 16. The reservoir 19 is provided With an-overilow pipe 28 leading from a point at the level of the nozzles 18 to a sump 29 through a trap-30. When desired the Water may be drained from the reservoir through a pipe 31 provided with the cut-oli' valve 32 and leading into'the overtloW pipe 28. To prevent any possible collection ot'water in the horizontal section 15 of the tie-line, a drain 32 provided with the cut-oit valve 33 and trap 34 leads from this section ltothe sump 29. A separator 35 is inserted in the tie-line T beyond the superheater, with a drain 36 leading into the Water Space of the reservoir and provided with the cutoff valve 37.l

The theor and operation ot the apparatus above descri ed .is as follows: v`When the steam pressure momentarily falls in the header 2 and chamber 6 ot the regulator 4, indicating an increase in load on the low pressure generators, the valve 3 is opened suciently by the regulator t to permit steam at reduced pressure to flow through the tieline to maintain the pressure in the header 2 at the desired value. At the same time the regulator t opens the valve 25 to permit the flow ot water to the reservoir. 'lhe valve 25 serves to roughly proportion the dow et f steam ow. 'The highly superheated steam at reduced pressure flows through the Venturi constriction in the section 16 where the- A.increase in tlow at the' throat17 causes-'a reduction instatic pressure of the steam at thisv point, which pressure increases again as it reaches the end of the section 16. The:

pressure above the water in the reservoir will therefore be greater than that within the throat 17 and as the level of the water is vmaintained at the level of the throat, the

difference in these pressures will be a measure of the steam flow through the tie-line.A This pressure difference will cause water to How through the line 20 from the reservoir and out as spray' from the nozzles 18 into the -steam in amount proportionalto the quantity of steam flowing through the line. The ratio between the How of steam and flow of water maybe varied by adjustment of the yvalve 21, the setting of thevalve'depending upon the degree of superheat maintained inA the high pressure header and that desired in the low pressure header. For a given setting of this valve 21 the' apparatus therefore operatesto automatically supply a given quantity of water to a given quantity of steam delivered through the tie-line; a larger' flow of steam automatically receiving proportionately larger supply of water and similarly a smaller flow of steam receiving the proportionately smaller quantity of water resulting iin each case in the same reduction in supereat. i l Y As herein illustrated and described my desuperheater is preferably employed in combination with an automatically controlled reducing valve. My present invention however is 'primarily concerned with the desuperi heater itself and is not limited to the particular combination in which it lhas been described', except as to such claims as may refer to other features of the combination.

It is apparent that my apparatus provides a simple and elicient means for automatically reducing the superheat of steam by any desired amount, and that further this degree4 o'desuperheating may be adjusted to any value desired. An important feature of my desuperheater is that it accurately roportions the flow of water -to the How o steam without requiring any regulator other than, a simple float for maintaining constant the water level in the reservoir.

I claim: 1. desuperheater for automatically reducing the superheat of steam flowing through a-conduit, including a Venturi sectionin said conduit, anv enclosed reservoir, means for maintaining water at a constant level in saidreservoir, a pipe connecting the section.

imanes water space of said reservoir with a point -ing a conduit for the ,flow of steam therethrough having a Venturi constriction in a vertical section thereof, A'an enclosed reservoir, means for maintaining water in said reservoir at approximately the level of the throatof said constriction, a pipe connecting the space above the water in said reser voir with a point in said conduit beyond said constriction .anda connection :from the water space, of said reservoir terminating in nozzles within the throat section of said Venturi constriction.y l

3.- Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein the pipe leading from the water space of the reservoir to nozzles within the throat of the Venturi constriction in the tie-line is provided with a manually adjustable regulating valve.

4. Means for desuperheating steam owing through a conduit including a Venturi constriction ina vertical section of said conduit, an enclosed reservoir, a water supply line leading to said reservoir', means formaintaining constant the water level in said reservoir, a pipe connecting the water space of said reservoir withV the throat section of said Venturi constriction and means for inducing a flow of water throu h said pipe in direct proportion to the through said conduit.

5. Apparatus as in claim including.

means for adjusting the ratio between the flow of steam and the induced flow of water.

r 6. In a steam installationgenerating high pressure superheated steam and low pressure steam and having headers for the same, the combination comprising. a tie-line joining of said tie-line.

7. Apparatus as in claim 6, wherein the pipe leading from the ywater space of the reservoir into the throat section of the Venturi constriction is provided with an adjustable regulating valve and where said pipeV terminates in nozzles within said throat 8. Apparatus as in claim 6 whereinlmeans 10o ow of steam j said reservoir, a drain pipe for said steam conduit located below said Venturi constriction, a separator in the steam conduit beyond said constriction land provided with a drain leading' into the water space of said reservoir; a pipe connecting said reservoir with the throat of said constriction and 15 means for inducing a flow of water from 4said reservoir through said last mentioned pipe indirect proportion to the flow of steam through said conduit. v In testimony whereof, -I have signed my 20 name to this specification.A

CHARLES H. SMOOT. 

